Guatemala has made significant progress on several health indicators in the past 25 years, but maternal mortality and chronic malnutrition rates remain high. Between 1990 and 2013, under-five mortality declined sharply from 81 to 31 deaths per 1,000 live births. The maternal mortality ratio also declined between 1990 and 2014;however, at 93 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2014, the maternal mortality ratio remains higher than the average of 71 deaths per 100,000 live births in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region. The prevalence of chronic malnutrition also decreased from 55 percent in 1995 to 46.5 percent in 2014/15, but it remains the highest in the region and among the highest in the world, especially among rural, poor, and indigenous populations. Maternal mortality and chronic malnutrition are intimately linked; the major drivers of chronic malnutrition in Guatemala include poor maternal health, inappropriate child feeding practices, and limited access to safe water, sanitation, and quality health services. Less than half of the population had regular access to primary health care services and only 49 percent of rural residents had access to improved sanitation in 2015. 

Constraints related to budgeting, flow of funds, and spending efficiency limit the ability of the government of Guatemala to expand access to quality social services.  Public expenditures on health’s share of GDP (2.2 percent) was lower than the average in the region (3.7 percent) in 2014. The government’s revenue-generating capacity is very low compared with other low- and middle-income countries and private spending as a share of total health expenditure is almost twice as large as the public share.

en Españ​ol: PAÍSES DEL GFF EN PRIMER PLANO: GUATEMALA

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